Safety razor



Dec. 28 1926. 1,612,490

J. G. CROOKSTON SAFETY RAZOR Filed March 1923 WITNESSESS G INVENTOR M/MMPatented Dec. 28,. 1926;

*UNITED STATES JACOB G. CBOOKSTON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY nazon.

Application filed March 14, 1923. Serial No. 624,970.

This invention relates to safety razors of the type in which adouble-edged blade is flexed transversely when clamped in the holder; 1

The closest shave obtainable is afforded by the old style straight razorwith unprotected blade, because the cutting edge is there freelypresented. against the face with no impeding or interfering means, Thecare and skill required in'using such a razor in order to preventcutting or abrading the face has been responsible, to a large extent,for the development of safety razors in which the cutting edges of theblades are protected by guards extending slightly beyond the cuttingedges. The maximum safety from a razor of this type is afforded when theteeth of the guard are flush with the cutting edge of the blade.However, experience has proven that such 'an arrangement is not'fullysatisfactory, because the guard teeth, lying flush against the cuttingedge of the blade,

blank a considerable portion of the cutting edge, thus rendering thatportion of the cutting edge useless for shaving purposes. Also, thisarrangement causes irritation of the face by reason of the beard lodgingbetween the razor blade and ard teeth without being freely cut from t eface.

To obviate as far as possible these and other disadvantages incidenttoyprior safety razors of the type contemplated by this invention, andto more nearly approximate the close shaving advantages of the old stylestraight razor, it has been the practice to loosen the'blade clampingmeans and thus permit the, edge of the blade to spring away from theguard, It is obvious that as the cutting edge of the blade recedesfromthe face of the guard, the cutting action is improved and the safetyfeature diminished, even to the point of being eliminated entirely asthe cutting action approximates that afforded by an unguarded straightrazor blade.

Infact, I have learned by experiments and study that use of a safetyrazor of this type, adjusted for a close shave with the blade free abovethe guard, results in numerouscuts and abrasions of the face of theuser. because he is, without realizing'it, using an unprotected blade asrecklesslyand carelessly as he has learned by experience that he can usea protected blade.

buch cuts and abrasions are mostly, if not entirely, caused by theexposed corners of the cutting edges of the blade. The pressure on therazor when shaving causes the blade to press against and to slightlydepress the skin over which it passes, and at the ends ofthe relativelyshort cutting edge slight ridges are formed in the skin, so that slightunsteadiness of the hand holding the razor will causean end of thecutting edge to impinge against the ridge of skin adj acent to it andthus result in cutting or abrading the skin. Between the ends 6r cornersof the cutting edge, this condition does not arise because the skin isuniformly depressed by Afurther and more specific object is to provide asafety razor of the type stated, in which thereis an unobstructedpassage and chamber to receive shaving refuse, and which isfurtherconstructed to facilitate removal of such refuse.

A still further and more specific object is to provide a safety razor ofthe type stated in which the corners of aublade are held rigidly againstthe guard member, and the guard member spaced from the bladeintermediate its ends, whereby the edges of the blade are free to effectsatisfactory shaving without liability of cutting or abrading the skinofa user.

A further object is to provide an efficient foldable safety razor whichis so simple in construction that it may be economically manufactured,and which may be quickly assembled and -disassembled.

Other objects will appear in the ensuing description of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the in- .vention is illustrated in itsapplicability to two types of safety razors, one the. type in which asingle handle projects from the center of the razor, and the other the tv ein which a pair of handles are pivota y attached to the ends of therazor and when not in use are adapted to fold u onthe razor. Fig. l-is'an endview and, ig. 2 a .side view of the first mentioned type of razor;Fig. 3 a transverse sectional view taken on the line III III, Fig. 2;Fig. 4'

ety

a side view of the foldable type of sa the clamping plate, and has-theeffect of positioning thecutting edges of v.theblade more nearly -:-tothe most effective shaving position it occupies when the razor is inuse;

razor, one of the handles being folded upon the razor and the'otherbeing moved to the Fig. 5 a plan view of the clampin plate and attachedhandles of the razor of Fig. 4; and Fig. 6 a plan View of the guardplate of the razor of Fig. 4. I Having reference first to the razor ofFigs. 1, 2, and 3, it comprises guard 1, a clamping plate 2, a handle 3provided with a threaded socket to receive a threaded pin -l attached tothe center of the clamping plate, and a blade 5 of the double-edgedtransversely flexed type arranged between the clamping s when clampedbetween the guard and clamp- I 1 ing plates.

The tongues 6, in addition to affording supports for the corners of the.blade, project slightly beyond the ends of the blade so that its cornersare blanked against cutting action, and hence cannot cut or abrade theface of a user in the manner previously explained. Between the tongues 6the guard is uniformly depressed below the plane'of the tongues, withthe result that the blade is free to cut'in substantially the 'same'effective" manner as ordina razors which are not'provided with guar s.Furthermore, between the blade and the de-/plate,

pressed guard, there is formed a clear passagewa-y for shaving refusewhich may col-' lect on each side of the razor in a chamber formed bythe guard plate, blade and j'ection 8. These chambers are opene at"bothends as well as at theirsides so that water may be flushed throughthe razor to I quio'kly' and effectively remove the shaving refuse.

As seen in Fig. 1, the clamping plate may "be tightened suflicientlyupon-the blade" to cause a slight reverse flexureat its edges..-

,- Thisflexure may be varied somewhat by adjusting handle 3 to alter thepositionof angle. However, in all. adjustments: of the razor itisintended that the clamping plate vfirmly press the corners of theblade against tongues 6 to blank the corners so that they cannot cut orabrade the face of a user.

The razor of Figs. 4, 5and6 is formed the same as that just explained asfar as concerns the supporting of the blade at its corners hpon tongueswhich lie above the planes of the guards, and also as far as concernsthe provision of a passageway and chamber for receiving shaving refuse.These features are clearly illustrated in the drawings and require nofurther description. The razor differs from that of Figs: 1, 2 and 3 inthat it is a folding razor embodying certain novel features ofconstruction having advantages which will now be explained.

The razor includes a guard plate 9 and a clamping plate 10, betweenwhich plates a double-edged transyersely-flexed blade 11 is clamped. Theends of the clamping plate are provided with rearwardly projecting lugs12 having; outwardly disposed pintles' 13 at t eir outer edges on whichoffset foldable h ndles 14 and 15 are pivoted. In Figs 4 handle 14 isshownin the position it occupies when the razor is in use, and handle 15is shown folded upon the razor.

Normally both handles are .in either one of these two positions. Theends of guard plate 9 are provided with recesses 16 formed to receivethe lugs 12, and these lugs are turned inwardly and are s'ufiicientlyresilient that the clamping plate maybe snapped into position betweenthe lugs and when insuch position will be firmly engaged by them. Toremove the guard plate-it is only necessary to press outwardly u on oneor the other of its ends which pro ect beyond the clamping late; Thisaffords a simple means of attae ing the guard to the clamping plate in arazor which may be economically manufactured.

A further feaure of theinvention to do with the orming of the guardplate so that when the razor is in use the guard moving in advance oftheedge of the razor, will sufiiciently stretch the skin to facilitateshaving. To this end the outer.

edges of the guard plate which project bero-l'-yond the blade areroughened, as for example by beingflmurled in the manner indicated. at17 on F i 6. g .It' is charactei igtic of each embodiment v has of theinvention that. the cutting edge of the blade is as freely presentedagainst the face of a user as is the edge of the common unprotectedstraight razor blade, thus rendering the safety razor'capable ofeffecting a clean close shave. Furthermore, the:

corners of'theblade are so blanked or protected by being held rigidlybetween the clampingilplate and the tongue on the guard as to e causingcuts and abrasions, and an adequate chamber is formed to receive shavingrefuse,

which chamber is open on all four sides to permit free passage of waterthrough the razor for removal of such refuse. In addition to theseadvantageous features, the foldable razor of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is soconstructed that it may be quickly and easily minate the possibility of.their of construction than those particularly -bility to two forms ofrazors. However, I

desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appendedclaims, the invention may be practiced with other forms shown anddescribed.

I'claim as my invention:

1. A safety razor comprising a guard plate having guards at its oppositesides and provided with tongues at its corners projecting above theplanes of the guards and having a medial blade-supporting projection, aclamping plate, and a transversely flexed blade arranged between theguard and clamping plate and resting at its central portion on saidprojection and at its corners on said tongues, the blade being heldrigidly at its' corners between the clamping plate and said tongues onthe guard plate to prevent cutting by the corners of the blade, and thecutting edge: of the blade being spaced from the guard intermediatethe'corners of the blade.

2. A safety razor comprising a flat guard plate having guards at itsopposite'sides and provided with tongues at its corners projecting abovethe planes of the guards and having'midway between its guards a bladesupport projecting abruptly above the plane of the plate, aclampingplate, and a transversely flexed blade arranged between the guard andclamping plates and.

resting at its central portion on said projection and at its corners onsaid tongues, the blade being held rigidly at its corners between theclamping plate and said tongues on the guard plate to prevent cutting bythe corners of the blade, and its cutting edges being spaced from-theguards intermediate the corners of the blade, there being an open endedrefuse-receiving chamber formed between the flexed blade and flat guardplate at each side of said blade support.

3. A foldable safety razor, comprising a clamping plate provided ateachend with a rearwardly projecting resilient lug, a removable guardplate adapted to be snapped between said lugs and when in such positionbeing clamped to the guard plate by the lugs, means for positioning arazor blade between the guard and clamping plate, and offset handlespivoted on said lugs and adapted to be folded upon the front of theclamping plate when the razor is not in use and to protect rearwardly ofthe guard plate for engagement When the razor is in use.

In testimony whereof, I sign my name.

Y J AOOB G. CROOKSTON.

